


One Truth in a Thousand Lies

by AcademiaNorse



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Dark!Tony, Depression, Friendship, Heavy Themes, Hurt, M/M, Trust, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-08-17
Packaged: 2018-01-15 23:04:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 21,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1322596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcademiaNorse/pseuds/AcademiaNorse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As punishment, Loki is sent to Earth with the status of a slave. Stuck in Stark's tower, the god has no choice but to accept his new life, and everything that comes with it; including Tony himself. Being the Silvertongue, Loki lives with lies and to deceive others, but the one truth in his thousand lies changes everything forever. FrostIron later in the story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by another one, and I'm sure many of you know it. The author is my inspiration and muse, so I'd like to thank them for writing their wonderful story in the first place.

Finally, a Friday he can have all to himself. Tony doesn't even remember the last time he didn't have to attend some party or social event, it's been too long. Come to think of it, he doesn't remember having any free time to himself ever since Pepper left. It's true that he had declined some invitations in the past, but the free time he should have had was taken up by paperwork and Start Industries matter.

Flopping onto the living room couch Tony instructs JARVIS to turn on the TV. Even though Tony never has been and never will be interested in watching TV, it serves as a good distraction to all the jumbled thoughts circling inside his head. It's been what, a mere 2 months since Pepper left, and he's already falling apart, his life crumbling to pieces around him. No, that won't do. Tony seriously has to get his life back in order, but first a night of relaxation spent to his content.

Sadly, things never work out in Tony's favor. Not a minute after Tony flopped down on his couch does Thor appear in his living room. But that's not what catches Tony's attention; in fact it's the figure behind everyone's favorite thunder god. There stands Loki, glaring at the back of Thor's head, hands bound by shackles, scowling as if someone just placed a rotten animal in front of him. Tony's mind can think of nothing than  _What the hell is that psychopath doing in my living room?_

"I am sorry to interrupt your evening, Man of Iron. I am here to address a very important matter concerning Loki's punishment." Thor steps forward and Loki is suddenly jerked along, his jaw clenched even more tightly than before. With a sudden realization Tony registers the chain attached to Loki's shackles which Thor is holding in his hands.

"And why does that matter concern me?" Tony takes a step towards Thor, but no more: his body refuses to move any closer to the god who had attacked his city merely a year ago. Just thinking of that day makes his skin crawl with unwanted memories.

"Odin has decided on the punishment Loki is to receive," Thor says tensely. Tony's mind is already whirling at all the possibilities.  _Finally; this bastard deserves the worst kind of punishment for what he's done. Killing thousands of innocent citizens, all for what? An insane scheme to rule Earth? No, the only punishment that psychopathic asshole deserves is to receive the same treatment he gave others._

"…to you Man of Iron." Tony's mind snaps back to attention as Thor addresses him, and he stares at the god, confused, as he scrambles to recall what Thor said seconds ago. It wasn't his fault for spacing out at the first mention of Loki getting punished. After all, it was about time the god of mischief paid for his crimes.

"Sorry, what? I missed that last part you said."  _Along with whatever else you might have mentioned after bringing up Loki finally getting his punishment._

 _"_ Loki is to be a slave on Midgard as it is the only fair way he can pay for the crimes he's committed against this realm. And he belongs to you now, Man of Iron." At those last words Loki turns his head away from the back of Thor's head and glares at the wall.

Well isn't that just wonderful, and he can honestly say that without a trace of sarcasm. Now the roles are reversed and Loki gets to feel what it's like being enslaved by others, getting your freedom taken away. Not even his divine status was able to save his sorry ass this time.  _Good, maybe he can learn a thing or two and think twice next time before trying to dominate the world._

Suddenly the realization slams into Tony as he grasps the concept of  _him_ owning  _Loki._ No, he surely must have heard that wrong.

"Uh…you're telling me that Loki's punishment consists of him being a slave.  _My_ slave? What the fuck! That is so wrong on so many levels! I didn't even agree to this shit, I don't want  _him."_  Tony spits out the last word as he jabs his finger in the general direction of the god. Sure his life hasn't been perfect the last year, even less so the past two months, but this is just insane. There is no way he's keeping a crazy, world-dominating psychopathic god of mischief in his house, and as his  _slave_  at way. In Hell.

"I am sorry you were not notified of this beforehand, but even if you had been, you would not have had a say in the matter. Odin's word is absolute and the punishment will be carried out. However, no matter how unhappy you may be with Odin's decision you may not go against it. Loki is to remain in your custody, and no one is to be notified of his presence here on Midgard."

"You're telling me I don't have the right to say I don't want him? What kind of fucked up logic is that?" Tony runs a hand through his hair and down his face, trying to regain his composure and sanity. "What the hell am I even supposed to  _do_ with him? With a…a…a freaking slave." Taking a few quick breaths Tony turns back towards Thor no longer caring about the expression he is wearing on his face. "And on top of that, what if he decides to kill me in my sleep? Have you even thought of that, huh?"

"He will do no such thing. Even though his powers still remain, he is unable to use his magic to cause any sort of mischief. And he knows better than to cause chaos in his current position." Thor reassures him, casting a stern look of warning at his brother. Tony dares a quick glance a Loki who is still staring intently at that same spot on the wall. His body looks tense, and his face is still as displeased as it was the last time Tony had looked at him.

How hard it must be to hear this for the second time, with his pride and everything, Tony mused. Loki, a god and a former prince of Asgard, reduced to nothing but a slave of a plain mortal: his pride and dignity must be shattered, if he even has any left after his attack on New York. Which he probably does, considering he was never one to back down and be broken easily. But as the saying goes, there's a first time for everything, right?

By the time Tony finishes yet another circle around his couch, fuming with anger and frustration as well as feeling a twinge of fear somewhere deep inside, Thor is almost finished taking the shackles off Loki. Neither of the gods looked too happy, for their own various reasons of course. After all, Thor is here to hand over his younger brother-whom he loves very much - to Tony Stark as a slave. And Loki's angst is self-explanatory under the circumstances.

Once Thor is finished with the shackles he steps slightly behind his brother and places a hand on his shoulder. Tony can't help but notice the little squeeze Thor gives Loki, as both a reassurance and a warning.

"Be good brother."

Looking up, Thor booms across the room, "Heimdall!" and with a last glance at Tony, the god of thunder vanishes from sight. Tony opens his mouth to ask Thor the million questions that are on his mind but closes it when there is nothing but empty air where the god of thunder had stood moments ago.

 _What the hell am I supposed to do now? What if Loki decides to run away or to break every single thing in my house in a fit of rage? There's no way I can stop him if he still has his powers, he's obviously stronger than me. And it's not like I can just tell him to go away…god knows what he'll start planning next. And what if he_ does  _try to kill me in my sleep? Or even not in my sleep…Thor said he wouldn't try anything like that, but how does he know? If Loki didn't' hesitate to plan world domination, there is nothing stopping him from thinking up more fucked up stuff or revenge on me or plans of my death-_

Abruptly Tony's train of thought comes to a stop and he looks up at the god of mischief standing a few meters away from him. He realizes there's no point in thinking of all these things; none of his questions will be answered and he won't find out the consequences unless he lets things get that way. So his best bet at survival now is to separate himself from the god as much as possible while making sure nothing is destroyed in the process or afterwards.

With a sigh Tony starts walking towards Loki, but stops in his tracks as the god sharply turns to face him. Loki's jaws are clenched tight, his eyes narrowed, and his hands balled up into fists. He shoots Tony a deadly glare and just as suddenly looks away again, his eyes focusing on that same spot on the wall he has been staring at for the whole time.

"Well then. Since you're going to be staying here a while I suppose I should get you a room." Of course Tony had many more things on his mind he would have liked to voice, but thinking back to the glare he received from Loki the inventor decided against it. Even if Loki was now his slave – as unbelievable that idea still was – Tony isn't willing to risk getting hurt or killed for a couple snarky remarks. After all, he has his whole life ahead of him to make fun of the god and degrade him into nothingness, just like he deserves to be.

In Tony's opinion, Loki deserves every kind of punishment he can get, be it verbal or physical. Not that Tony is actually going to inflict pain on the god – that would go against all of his morals – but if someone else was to Tony wouldn't even have second thoughts about the punishment. After everything the god did on Earth and what he put the innocent citizens through… hell, what he put  _Tony_  through, there is no room for even the slenderest feeling of mercy.

Running his hand through his hair once more, Tony turns around and heads for the hallway, hoping Loki will follow suit. Luckily the inventor always has a number of guest bedrooms available and ready for use, so it doesn't take him long to pick one for Loki. Maybe it isn't the wisest idea to give the god a bedroom on the same floor as Tony's, but at the same time it seems like the safer option. This way Tony will be able to keep an eye on the god at all times through JARVIS, but also the close distance between them. And if Loki ever does try to destroy anything or plot some scheme Tony will be able to prevent it much easily than if the god had a whole floor to himself. Not that Tony will ever let him wander around anyway, that gives the good way too much opportunity for…well whatever he might have in his head.

Opening the door to the smallest guest room available on this floor, Tony turns towards the god, hoping the silent gesture will come across quite clear: this is your room. After a few seconds of silence the god walks into the room and stops in the middle. The tension in Loki's shoulders is still very noticeable and his hands are still clenched into tight fists. Clearly the god is no more happy with the situation than he was 20 minutes ago, maybe even more displeased.

The room Tony decided to provide Loki with is still quite big in size compared to most. This  _is_ Stark Tower after all. It's not very heavily furnished: a bed in one corner opposite the window, a nightstand right beside it. An average sized dresser stands on the opposite side of the room with a desk not too far away. The other wall is left blank, except for a big window displaying the full view of the city. Thank god the glass is unbreakable; otherwise Tony would just have one extra thing to worry about, like Loki jumping out in an attempt to escape.

After a few moments of staring at Loki Tony clears his throat. Clearly the god isn't intending to move anywhere so Tony decides to wrap this whole thing up. It's getting late, and he's completely an utterly drained. There goes his perfect fantasy of a Friday night spent alone doing whatever he pleases. The unwanted visit from the god of thunder now leaves the inventor with a rather unhappy god of mischief, who only a year ago tried to conquer this very planet.

"Don't leave until I say you can. I don't want you roaming around my house spreading germs. Or getting any more world-dominating ideas." With a last glance Tony closes the door behind him and heads for his own room.

"JARVIS. Make sure the door and window are locked and keep a watch on him. And if he tries anything, let me know right away."

"Yes sir." JARVIS' automatic, yet always friendly and helpful voice sounds from somewhere above Tony's head. At least he always has his AI to rely on; that's one thing that will never change. The thought brings a sense of comfort to Tony, no matter how small. Maybe his whole life isn't completely in ruins and shattered like he thought. Sure, things aren't at their best right now - Hell, they're probably at their worst with Loki's arrival and all – but that small reassurance of JARVIS lightens Tony's mood just a tad.

Not bothering taking off his clothes, Tony collapses onto the bed. His mind is already drifting into sleep, his eyes closing. Finally he can relax. Maybe if he sleeps long enough the whole Loki-turned-slave incident will disappear and it will all just be a bad dream Tony had, a fading fragment of his imagination.

Suddenly there is a loud bang followed by quieter ones, and Tony's eyes shoot open. JARVIS is already informing Tony of what's happening and the inventor is up on his feet, running towards Loki's room.

_Fuck._

There goes his last hope - a peaceful night's sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Bursting into the room Tony's eyes land on the figure standing a few meters away from him. Well, standing being an understatement. Loki is in full motion, grabbing at anything and everything within reach and hurtling the unfortunate objects across the room. In his fit of blind rage the god hasn't noticed Tony enter – or rather run into – his room. The place is a disaster, resembling anything but a room. All the furniture broken, its pieces strewn across the room with more joining every second.

"What the  _hell_ are you doing?!"

Startled, Loki whirls around, eyes narrowed, jaws clenched, panting heavily. Tony immediately notices the malicious glint in the god's eyes, that same one he had while attacking New York. Making a split second decision, Tony raises his hand and shoots a repulsor beam right at Loki. Usually Tony isn't the one to resort to violence first, but the current circumstances are a special case. In this situation it's better to take precautions than rely on luck and hope the god won't either throw something at his head or leap at him. Not that Loki could do much damage to Tony in his suit.

As JARVIS informed Tony of what was happening, the inventor called one of his suits, once again being tremendously grateful for having the bracelets clasped around his wrists. Ever since the attack on New York and his most unwanted plunge to near-death out the window, the inventor always wears the bracelets now. There was of course a very slight chance of him ever needing his suit immediately, but having that reassurance made him feel better. And what do you know; here he's taking full advantage of that opportunity.

The blast hits Loki right in the middle of the chest and he's flung back from the sudden impact. Clearly not expecting the assault Loki is stunned and just stands there, slumped against the wall. Then suddenly Tony is right in front, pinning the god in place, restricting any movement.

Had Loki been in his right mind and had his senses fully alert, he would have been able to stop Tony. Now, however, the god is helpless, stuck between Tony and the wall, unable to move or push the human off. If Loki was Asgard, he would never have tolerated such behavior. But he is no longer there, or even a prince – just a slave of a stupid mortal and possibly his greatest enemy at that.

"Are you done? Are you satisfied with what you did now?" Tony's voice comes out as growl, deep and very, very displeased. "Because this is still your room and this is how you'll be living from now on." Jerking forward slightly the inventor has the god pressed even harder into the wall, practically grinding Loki into the cement structure. It hurts Loki to breathe; after all, Tony is much stronger than him now with his Iron Man suit on.

"I thought it was perfectly clear that you can't destroy any of my things. Even though I've never had one, I'm pretty sure  _slaves_ aren't supposed to be touching their masters' things." A number of emotions flash on the god's face: anger, loathing, disgust and even a hint of...regret, but he settles on curling his lip and giving Tony a piercing glare. No matter how slight that hint of regret was, Tony was sure he saw it, noting to himself to confront the god about it later.

"Oh, I'm sorry princess. I didn't realize you don't like to be reminded of your position as a slave.  _My_ slave to be exact. And even if I have no idea what to do with you yet, I sure as hell will think of something. Now be a good little slave and stay still." Loki's glare turns into an icy stare, but Tony couldn't be less bothered. He can glare all he wants, he's still the investor's slave and under his command.

Grabbing Loki's wrists, Tony binds them together with rope. Sure, it isn't the best restriction he can use, but it's the only one currently at his disposal (his suit practically has everything hidden somewhere inside). Loki doesn't object, knows he can't. No matter how much his pride may be screaming at him to lash out and stop the assault, the god stays put. Satisfied with his knots and his work, Tony takes a few steps back to observe.

"Now you will stay in here and this time  _not_ destroy anything…not that there's anything left to destroy. No matter how much you may loathe your punishment, you're still subjected to it and you will behave yourself accordingly. Are we clear?"

After a moment of silence comes Loki's reply, "I will  _never_ listen to you," words dripping with venom and disgust.

"You already have. You just haven't realized it yet." Tony shoots back, referring to moments ago when the god didn't object his wrists being bound. Unfortunately Tony doesn't know Loki's reason and simply assumes the god has given up. Supposedly the god has in a way, but it wasn't willingly; his punishment forbids him from making any move against his master.

"You will never make me listen,  _mortal._ "

"Watch me."

With that Tony briskly turns around and leaves the room, making sure to bang the door behind him.

_Watch me, princess._

* * *

It's not until the next evening that Tony even considers letting Loki finally leave his room. For the whole day Tony kept his eye on the god, constantly asking JARVIS what was happening. At some point JARVIS even offered to inform Tony on a 2 minute interval about Loki's actions so the inventor could focus on his task uninterrupted.

Sometime around dinner Tony finally wanders up to the top floor, having spent the whole day in his workshop. Whenever he felt stressed he always went down there. Even just fiddling with gadgets helped him calm down and clear his head, which was what he spent doing most of the day. After last night's incident Tony really was beginning to feel lost and insecure about his own safety. Sure the god hasn't attacked him yet, but who was to say he wouldn't in the future. It's true Thor reassured Tony that no such thing would happen, but really, how does he know?

Debating on wearing his suit, Tony disregards the idea and walks up to the door of Loki's room. Tony would gladly avoid any interaction with the god if at all possible, but one: he has to feed the god, and two: he really needs to have a proper conversation with him.

"JARVIS, what's he doing?" Stopping just shy of the door Tony leans on the wall and waits for the reply.

"Loki is currently sitting on his bed, sir."

After all the damage Loki did to the room, Tony's surprised that the bed managed to stay in one piece. Maybe Loki subconsciously knew he needed the bed to sleep on, or maybe it was too big to bother with.

With a quiet sigh he pushes the handle down and opens the door. Indeed Loki is sitting on his bed leaning against the wall for support, looking at nothing. Not bothering to react to Tony Loki continues staring at nothing, waiting for whatever Tony is here for. Although the god made no move to acknowledge Tony's presence, he knows that Loki is aware of him, having seen the god's shoulders tense.

"It's dinner time. Come."

Once at the table, Loki chooses the farthest spot from Tony and sits down. The table is already set, takeout boxes neatly placed in the center. Tony, of course, doesn't cook and DUM-E isn't advanced enough to prepare food, so the inventor usually eats whatever he orders. When Pepper was still here she would often cook the most splendid dinners. But she's no longer here and so Tony has to resort to his next best option: takeout food. After a few minutes of awkward and uncomfortable silence Tony opens his mouth, not knowing what will come out, but needing to say something.

"So. Why did you decide to destroy your room not even half an hour after you came here? Was it really that hard to guess that you're not supposed to be breaking my shit? Or did you just want to act like a rebellious teenager who thinks they're above everyone else? Because, shall I remind you, you're not. In fact, you're lower than everyone else, reduced to nothing but a mere slave." Pausing mixing his food Tony looks across the table at Loki, expecting a reply. What he gets, instead, is a shallow stare and eyes full of fury.

"I shall inform you that I will not be subjected to such low treatment, as that of a slave. I may not have my…my status anymore, but I am still a god and superior to you. You mortals think you're smart and clever, when in fact you're nothing but parasites."

"You're treading very dangerous waters here. You have no choice in this matter. You're a slave and you will remain one until you die. And you will sure as hell learn how to treat me properly. I won't tolerate any bullshit from you. 'I'm a god' my ass. I don't give a shit about what or who you are, except that you're a slave.  _My_ slave, and you will live by  _my_ rules." Sometime during his speech Tony got out of his seat, as he found himself standing right beside Loki, towering over the god and emphasizing what he just said: he was the master, and Loki the slave. Getting up slowly Loki turns to face Tony.

"Indeed? Because during our last encounter I remember you expressing great concern in whom I was and what I was capable of doing. Especially when I took over your precious little tower. Yes, back then you were  _very_ concerned about my plans and about my intentions. Yet now, Tony Stark, you act as if you have not a care in the world about what goes on in my head and what I do or am capable of doing. You think just because Thor told you I will not harm you, you will be safe. I beg to differ; I am after all the god of chaos and mischief. To me you are simply a Midgardian who is unable to protect himself without a big piece of metal covering every part of his body. I must admit you were clever during my attack on Midgard, but after all I still managed to cause chaos in this realm. And there is absolutely nothing stopping me from doing it all over again. A mere "status" can't hold me back, even you must realize that. Or maybe that's why your Lady left you, because you are so naïve. You believe what you want to believe and only see that which will benefit you in some way, or cause you less hardship. Even she is human; a person can only put up with so much stupidity and naiveté. I must say she is a smart one, refusing to up with your ludicrous whims and-"

_Slap._

"Don't  _ever_ talk about Pepper that way, you – "

"Denying the truth is not going to make your life easier.  _You_  should realize this of all people. My, you are even more senseless than I thought. That Lady of yours was lucky to have realized her mistakes early enough." Loki scoffs, ignoring the half-threat Tony implied seconds ago.

"DON'T TALK ABOUT HER THAT WAY!" Loki's eyes widen slightly as he leans back, clearly not expecting the sudden outburst from the usually composed inventor. "Don't…don't ever mention Pepper. She's…" Tony rakes a hand through his hair, turning away from the god. "Son of a bitch. Getting me all worked up, no I shouldn't be acting like this." Tony mutters under his breath as he paces back and forth, trying to calm down. Turning to face Loki once again, he tries to make his face as emotionless as possible, not quite succeeding.

"Alright, room, now. Let's go," the command coming out slightly suggestive and Tony winces. It's not that he meant to say it in that tone, but with the current situation some stress relief would be nice. And dear god no, he wasn't thinking of Loki. His body was just so accustomed to taking all his stress to the bedroom and getting rid of it through sex.

Tony knows that Loki hit a soft spot. Even though it's been two months since Pepper left, the pain is still raw. Usually the inventor would sulk in his workshop until the pain diminished into a dull ache somewhere deep inside, but this time Loki fed his sadness and anger, making Tony lose control. He knows a night of sadness, loneliness and crying awaits him, the reality finally having caught up with him and dumped its bucket of water on him. Only it's not a bucket, but more like an ocean in which Tony is flailing helplessly, barely able to stay above the surface.

Wordlessly Tony waits as Loki walks past him, emotionless, into his room and sits on the bed. Without a word Tony slams the door and walks away. Damn, he could really kill for a drink right now.

Walking back to the kitchen he ignores all the takeout boxes on the table, the sight of them making his stomach churn. Instead, he picks out 3 of the best and strongest alcoholic drinks from his collection and retreats to his bedroom.

* * *

Once Loki no longer hears Tony's retreating footsteps he climbs under the covers, turning to face the wall. The god's mind is continuously replaying the scene in the kitchen and from the night before.

It's true that Loki meant what he said – about not being subjected to such low treatment of a slave. Yes, that was the punishment he received in Asgard at his trial, but surely it was a mere "status". There is no way Odin can monitor and make sure Loki is obeying his master like a good, loyal dog. Tony has no way of reaching anyone in Asgard, and Loki is almost 100% sure that Thor won't be visiting for quite a while. As long as he doesn't raise his hand against Tony or tries to escape he won't be violating the rules of his punishment.

As the minutes tick by, Loki's mind wanders back and forth between memories. At one point he remembers the battle in New York. As he relives those days in his mind, he can't help but realize that he doesn't quite remember why he decided to attack Midgard in the first place. He knows The Other was somehow involved, remembers making some sort of deal with him, although the actual reason for his attack never reveals itself. Loki desperately rakes his brain for explanations, but his mind comes up blank.

After hours of drifting in and out of consciousness between his memories, he turns onto his back. His wrists are aching from being bent at an awkward angle for so long, and as he lifts his arms up the god realizes his hands are still bound by the rope. He remembers that Tony never got around to untying his hands during dinner, since they never got to the eating part anyway.

Examining his binds once more Loki tries to untie them, but fails at all attempts. Sighing, he decides to put the task off until tomorrow, unwilling to admit to himself that he has in fact given up on trying. A strange though floats by in Loki's mind as he is finally drifting off to sleep.

_We are not so different in the end, you and I…_

That night Loki dreams of being tortured and humiliated over and over, his mind acknowledging that he will never be able to escape his punishment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your support. I will be updating this story weekly (more or less).


	3. Chapter 3

"…late."

_Ugh…what…_

"Sir, if you don't wake up now, you're going to be late for your meeting."

Groaning, Tony rolls over in his bed willing the dizziness to go away. Considering he hasn't woken up on his own, it must be rather early in the morning and with the pounding headache Tony has no desire to open his eyes, let alone get up.

"Sir, you really need to get up. The meeting is starting in an hour."

_Shit._

Literally jumping out of bed, the inventor makes a dash for the shower praying that the water will make him feel better. Of course, Tony has a very important meeting to attend about his company. Usually Pepper would attend such meetings, as Tony could never be bothered enough, but this time the matter at hand was relevant directly to him.

Although Pepper had left him, she is still the CEO of Stark Industries and takes care of the important things. Tony is only good at inventing gadgets and suits, and not in a million years would he be able to run a company on his own. After their separation, Pepper agreed to continue taking care of the company and help Tony out as much as she could, but on one condition only – that they would never discuss any matters face to face.

Pepper made it clear she wanted nothing to do with Tony beyond a professional level, and she knew that if the inventor had to see her, even if once in a while, he would fall apart and never again be put back together. So she came up with something that worked perfectly for both of them. Or at least as perfectly as things could be under the circumstances.

After ten minutes of standing under burning hot water Tony reluctantly turns around and shuts the water off. His headache subdued a little, though there is still a slight pounding in his head. Drying himself off, he rummages through his closet trying to find a suit ready for wear. Luckily he always keeps at least two ready, in case of situations like this.

Tony isn't big on breakfast, but he knows if he eats something it'll help his head a little. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to not be hungry for his meeting so he can pay attention to the people talking and not his growling stomach. Grabbing a folded piece of paper off the dresser, Tony makes his way to the kitchen. It's not like he has to cook a big meal for a bunch of guests anyway, he can grab a quick bite.

_Guests…Oh shit._

"Son of a… JARVIS, would you call Loki for me. Tell him not to waste any time."

Taking out a box of waffles from the freezer, he takes out 4 and jams them in the toaster. Not having enough time to defrost them, Tony figures he can make the temperature higher and melt them as well as cook them in one go. While the waffles are...melting, Tony makes himself a cup of coffee. As he's finished setting the plate of waffles and whipped cream on the table, there's a shuffle of feet and a quiet thud as Loki sits down at the table.

"Waffles. Whipped cream." Tony says slightly waving his cup in the direction of the food, "and there's the coffee. Help yourself."

Loki glances at the plate and bowl – one piled with waffles, the other with cream – then looks at Tony. The god obviously has no idea what to do with either, but he slowly extends his hand and cautiously takes the waffle.

It takes Tony a few seconds, but he realizes that Loki must have no idea what to do. He's pretty sure there's some equivalent of waffles in Asgard, but maybe they don't have the cream or everything looks different. Or at least if they did, maybe waffles weren't exactly considered royalty food. With an amused smile Tony reaches out for the bowl of cream and smears some of it on the waffles. The god glances once more at Tony, but takes the plate and slowly begins eating.

"Alright, I got a meeting to attend today, so you're going to be in the house alone for a little while. Don't bother doing anything stupid, I'll be watching you the whole time, and JARVIS will notify me right away if something's wrong." Taking a sip of his coffee Tony eyes the god, expecting a reply. When Loki doesn't offer one, he continues. "Now, there's a couple of rules you'll need to follow and if you don't…well let's hope you're not curious enough to find out what will happen."

Taking out the piece of paper Tony grabbed from his dresser, he unfolds it. Last night when he was getting drunk in a pitiful effort to make himself feel better he had a sudden urge to write down a list of rules for Loki. Although Tony was pretty certain the god wouldn't do anything too reckless, the idea of rules still appealed to him.

"Rule number 1: don't touch my stuff unless I tell you to. That one's pretty self-explanatory. Rule number 2: don't destroy anything. I'm pretty sure you're smart enough to realize that. At least I hope you are." Taking another sip of his coffee, Tony glances at the list to read the next few rules.

"Rule number 3: don't leave the floor you're on. Rule number 4: don't leave your room unless I say so. I don't want you lurking around touching any of my stuff. In fact, I'd much rather not see you at all and I think both of us would feel safer if you didn't annoy me. Rule number 5: don't hand me things...don't ask," Tony ads as an afterthought, not in the mood to explain that he simply hates it when people try to give him _anything._

"Rule number 6: don't throw me out any windows." A small snort escapes Loki and he lifts his head up for the first time to look at Tony since the inventor began reading the rules. "I'm serious, after that stunt you pulled I really don't have the best of relationships with windows. Moving on. Rule number 7: Don't engage in lewd and..." Tony's voice trails off as he mentally reads the rest of the sentence.

_7\. Don't engage in lewd and lascivious behavior with DUM-E._

_Oh god, what the fuck. What was I thinking last night? Jesus fucking Christ._

Clearing his throat, Tony tries his best to compose himself and his mind. "Yep that's it. Six rules for you to follow, which should be easy enough. And don't hesitate to check in with your common sense, although I doubt yours will help much."

"Sir, the meeting will begin in half an hour. You really should get going."

"Right, thanks JARVIS." Sighing Tony gets up and places his now empty cup in the sink. So much for breakfast. With having to give Loki the rundown of the rules, Tony didn't even have time to eat anything. Making his way to the elevator he suddenly halts and turns around to face Loki.

"Oh, almost forgot, got a little task to occupy you with. Since you're going to be living here for a long time and all, might as well make yourself useful." Picking his words carefully (more or less), Tony chose to avoid the word  _slave._ Even if that's technically what Loki is, Tony doesn't like the whole idea of owning a slave, and especially acknowledging the god as such.

"There's a bunch of clothes in my closet that need folding. I figured you'd do a better job than DUM-E. When you're done eating ask JARVIS how to get to my room." Seeming satisfied with his instructions, Tony turns back around and closes the distance between himself and the elevator. "See you in a few hours." And with a wave of his hand Tony disappears behind the elevator doors.

* * *

Finishing his waffles Loki places the plate in the sink, only because he full well knows that there isn't a slave to do it for him. After looking around the kitchen and stalling some time, Loki decides to at least see what the task at hand is. Of course he knows about folding clothes, but he's never done the chore himself, and to be honest he was a little curious to see Tony's room and closet.

"JARIVS? Where's…the room with the clothes?"

Getting thorough directions from the AI Loki quickly makes his way to Tony's room – stopping about 10 times along the way to examine a painting or sculpture or bookshelf. As the god opens the door a wide open space welcomes him, with little furniture except for a very large bed, a bedside table and a TV hanging off the wall.

For a billionaire, Tony's room was rather plain and empty, definitely not what the God expected. Then again, what  _was_ Loki expecting? Nothing. It's not like he spends his time wondering what the inside of Tony's bedroom looks like.

Loki makes his way across the room, toward the double doors behind which Tony's clothes are kept. The closet is big, having multiple compartments, shelves, and drawers to fit all of Tony's belongings. At one end of the room there's a pile of clothes carelessly dumped there, clearly to be taken care of by Loki.

The god however, makes no move to approach the pile and begin his tedious task of folding the many shirts and pants which all look the same to him anyway. Instead, Loki approaches the endless row of shirts hanging, running his fingers along the material, occasionally stopping to examine one that catches his eye.

After a few minutes, Loki gets bored and leaves the room, not bothering to close the doors behind him. If Tony wants his clothes folded or his laundry done, he can hire a maid. Loki certainly wouldn't be lowering himself to such a level, tending to a Midgardian's whims.

* * *

Tony practically drags himself out of the elevator, completely drained of energy and desperate for a drink. The meeting took forever, and it was seriously the most boring thing the inventor ever had to attend in his life. At least the parties provided some entertainment, like the hot chicks in their mini dresses or drunk people embarrassing themselves. Grabbing the first bottle he lays eyes on, Tony gulps the liquid straight from the bottle, not even bothering to get a glass.

Immediately he feels the slight burn in his throat, his muscles relaxing, all tension leaving his body. What would Tony do without his best buddy alcohol? Maybe relying on it so much isn't the greatest idea, but with Pepper gone and no one there to support him or help him out, it's the next best thing.

Finishing the first bottle of god knows what, Tony automatically reaches for a second bottle, now taking his time to pick out what he wants. After a few gulps he sets the bottle down on the counter, providing himself with enough time to slip off his suit jacket before going for the bottle again.

As much as he would have liked to go down and work in his workshop, Tony's too tired to even move, so he opts for the next option in line and heads for the bedroom. Turning away from the row of bottles, another one in hand, the inventor makes his way across the living room, stopping before rounding a corner, something having caught his eye. Lazily turning around, Tony's eyes find a huddled shape sitting by the window, which his brain eventually identifies as Loki.

_Right…that bastard didn't do shit today. Just walked around my house like he owned the place. Fucking asshole._

Walking – or more like staggering – up to the god, Tony waits a few seconds before clearing his throat. Loki, having been deep in thought and not noticing Tony jumps a little as he turns around. Tony can see the body opposite him tense up as his eyes lock on Loki's.

"How was your little unauthorized tour today? Did you forget you had a very simple task to do?"

"I believe I already  _told_  you before; I will not listen to you. I'm a  _god,_ and you're nothing but a puny mortal. Following orders from you is the last thing on my list." Loki spits back his reply, glaring at Tony. Yes, he was treading dangerous ground here, but the god of mischief can't just stand by as he's insulted by a mere human. Even though Loki may not be a free man anymore, he will not admit to his fate without a fight.

"Watch your language. You're not exactly in the position to be addressing me like that,  _princess."_ A look of utter rage passes Loki's face, making the god stiffen even more at the demeaning nickname, eyes narrowing.

"Don't ever call me that." Loki spits in Tony's face, his body trembling in anger, using every ounce of strength to not lash out at the man in front of him.

"Well, aren't we a little sassy today. Maybe I should teach you a lesson." Loki doesn't even have time to react as Tony advances, fist raised. The punch hits Loki square in the jaw, and the god sways a little as he's slightly thrown off balance. Automatically, Loki's arms rise up to attack, the god barely stopping himself from hitting Tony at the last second. The inventor, feeling provoked further, lashes out again, this time hitting Loki in the shoulder and making him stumble backwards. This time however, Tony doesn't stop. He continues advancing on Loki, hitting him over and over again, in the chest, shoulders, face.

With each blow Loki takes a step back, until his back is pressed flat against the window with no room to retreat. Loki holds his breath as he waits for the next punch, which doesn't come. Instead, two hands smack on the window right beside his head, blocking any escape routes. Tony leans in, his face inches from the god's, and Loki can smell the alcohol on Tony's breath.

"Have you had enough? Did you learn your lesson, or should I go into more detail?" Tony glares into Loki's eyes, brown ones meeting emerald green ones.

Loki keeps silent, his body already aching from the few - but very strong – punches.

"Now you listen here, Horny. When I tell you to do something, you go and you fucking do it. I don't give a shit about who you are or what you are or your status for that matter. You're staying in  _my_ tower, so you will make yourself fucking useful and do the shit I tell you to do. And if you don't, then your little punishment is going to make you regret your stupid ass decisions about not listening to me." Out of blind rage and the alcohol's effect on his brain, Tony rams his knee hard into Loki's crotch, using all the strength he can. The god doubles over in pain, a cry escaping his mouth, slumping over Tony's shoulder.

Tony takes a step back and Loki's body drops to the floor, curling up into a tight ball at his feet. Seeming not satisfied enough, Tony kicks the crumpled figure a few more times, stopping when the god is barely breathing and moaning in pain on the floor. Throwing Loki a quick glance Tony turns around and heads for his bedroom, glad to finally be able to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_Loki keeps silent, his body already aching from the few - but very strong – punches._

_"Now you listen here, Horny. When I tell you to do something, you go and you fucking do it. I don't give a shit about who you are or what you are or your status for that matter. You're staying in my tower, so you will make yourself fucking useful and do the shit I tell you to do. And if you don't, then your little punishment is going to make you regret your stupid ass decisions about not listening to me." Out of blind rage and the alcohol's effect on his brain, Tony rams his knee hard into Loki's crotch, using all the strength he can. The god doubles over in pain, a cry escaping his mouth, slumping over Tony's shoulder._

Suddenly Loki feels an excruciating pain in his groin and he doubles over in pain, a cry escaping his mouth before he can stop it. He's used to taking pain and keeping quiet, whether it be a battle injury, or torture. He's been a victim of both far too many times to be sensitive to pain. And after the first few times, Loki learned to keep his mouth shut for as long as possible, when possible. Showing pain is a major sign of weakness, but also humiliation. Yet when that pain comes unexpectedly and in a place so vulnerable and unprotected, his mind is unable to keep control of his actions. The cry escapes his mouth with Loki realizing it when it's too late to stop it.

His vision blacks for a few seconds, thought and feeling momentarily abandoning Loki's body. As he comes back into function and realization, he feels his body dropping into nothingness until it hits the floor. The sudden impact causes a new wave of pain to sweep over his body, and Loki lays there helplessly on the floor, curled up at Tony's feet.

Through the haze of the pain Loki feels a foot connect with his ribs. The assault doesn't stop, as much as he wills it to, and silently begs for the pain to stop increasing. But the foot makes contact with his ribs once again, and the next hit comes to his stomach as Tony kicks at the pathetic figure in front of him. Just as Loki is on the brink of losing consciousness, his breaths coming out shallow and quick, the abuse suddenly stops.

And so he lies there, curled up on the floor, a pathetic beat up heap. Minutes pass and Loki dares not move a muscle, but simply waits for his labored breathing to return to normal and the pain to subdue. He tries to make sense of the situation and the events which had just occurred, though his mind doesn't want to cooperate and he gets a headache on top of all his other problems.

It just doesn't make sense. Tony's behavior and actions just don't make sense. The very first day Loki came here, Tony seemed annoyed, but still treated the god humanely. It's true that Loki had been slapped by the inventor before, but it was only one slap for intruding in Tony's personal life and mentioning Pepper. Besides that incident Tony has been mainly ignorant of the whole situation and hadn't paid much attention to Loki.

The worst which happened to Loki was getting locked up in his room and being left without food for a day or so. But today…today was completely different. Tony lashed out at the god, practically beating him to a pulp. No matter how Loki looked at it, it just didn't make sense.

Then again, it  _could_  make sense if he thought about things differently. After all, he  _did_ trash his room, which is actually Stark's. To be honest, Loki shouldn't have gotten a room; slaves in Asgard are never provided with sleeping quarters, let alone such nice ones as Tony gave him. But at the same time, one action like that shouldn't have changed Tony's behavior so much.

 _Unless…The alcohol_.  _Of course, that is what triggered his violent response._

As this idea unfolds itself in Loki's mind, the god can feel a little flame of fear ignite somewhere deep down inside. He isn't stupid; he knows how much Tony likes to drink and how often he does it. If Loki managed to remember one thing about Tony from his last trip to Midgard, it's that the inventor loves his alcohol. Pushing the thought and the fear away, Loki buries the two deep down, refusing to believe what he already knows. It's impossible for him to not refuse the commands and chores Tony gives him, but he knows that when Tony will return, drunk, Loki won't be having the most pleasant of times.

As time passes by and Loki lies on the floor, he can't help but come back to that thought again. If this is what Tony is like every time he drinks, then Loki won't be able to handle the beatings for long. His body can only regenerate so fast, and considering how often Tony will probably beat him, there just won't be enough time for Loki to get his full strength back.

Reluctantly, he agrees with himself to try and follow Tony's instructions. At least the most basic of them. Of course the god won't do anything too degrading or humiliating, but if he can avoid being beaten to near death, he would rather complete a stupid task. If following Tony's ludicrous orders is all it will take to spare Loki from the almost unbearable pain, maybe - just maybe - they're actually worth following.

Feeling the pain in his body increase Loki lets out a low groan which turns into an angry growl. He always hates this part of his healing process the most: the pain become greater than what was originally inflicted as the tissues in his body try to restore themselves to their original, healthy and undamaged form. Surprisingly the beating from Tony affected his body more than Loki thought possible, considering Tony was merely a Midgardian with strength barely comparable to that of a god. He knew his recovery would take a while, and would be a painful one. Giving in to the sleepy feeling, Loki loses consciousness in the middle of Tony's living room, still curled up, promising himself to move to his bedroom later, when he's able to open his eyes without wincing.

Occasionally a quiet moan or groan would escape the god's lips, his sleep filled with dreadful nightmares of torture, humiliation and degradation.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of people are interested in Tony's reaction, but you might just have to wait a bit longer.

 

A new week always means a lot of work and many more boring meetings. Tony is trying to expand his business, get the arc reactor into other countries. It's a very efficient and environmentally safe energy provider meaning the world can become a better place, and Tony can of course get even more money. This of course means a lot of meetings and negotiations and promotional speeches. All of which he hates. Well, maybe not the promotional speeches – he gets to talk about his company and how great it is. And the cameras, all the attention.

On top of that, he has to keep up with his Avengers duties. Though SHIELD rarely calls Tony, sometimes he'd have to spend a day or two flying around the world trying to stop idiotic "criminals" who could barely formulate their plans, let alone provide a threat to the world. Honestly, sometimes he wondered if Fury was just making fun of him and the others. That one-eyed asshole.

Monday was the worst though, as all the work which piled on from the weekend had to be sorted. Working during the weekend wasn't his most favourite thing in the world – in fact, it was his least favourite. And being Tony, he always left everything till Monday, meaning the workload increased about 100%. He tried to avoid as many meetings, negotiations and speeches as possible, but some were just unavoidable. Like the meeting he had today.

Besides all those problems there's the Norse god who's living with him. Tony hates leaving Loki alone, even if JARVIS is constantly supervising him and giving Tony live feeds. So far giving Loki a stupid chore seemed like the best option to keep the god occupied and away from trouble, though folding clothes proved to be a task a tad too difficult for the god to handle.

Tony gets JARVIS to call Loki to breakfast, already making coffee for himself and putting the waffles in the toaster for Loki. Getting the cream out, he takes a bowl and empties half of the can into it and puts it in the middle of the table, fork and knife following. He himself doesn't really feel like eating since he's completely stressed out over the upcoming meetings.

_Great, and they haven't even started yet. Fucking hate this company shit._

As the coffee machine beeps, Tony pours himself a cup of coffee and leans against the counter, facing the living room. The inventor can't help but notice how empty the table looks: one bowl, a knife and a fork. For the great Tony Stark that looks really pitiful, but it's not like he ever ate at home, so his pantries were all empty. Loki was lucky that he even had something to eat. Maybe he should buy some more food, just so Loki doesn't starve. Though Tony is sure gods can last a while without it – after all, Loki hadn't eaten anything on the Hellicarrier when he was being held by SHIELD. Maybe he didn't even have to eat at all, which would definitely save Tony a lot of trouble.

_I should test that theory out someday…Starve the poor bastard until he worships me and doesn't give me any of his shit. Now there's an image._

A few minutes later Loki walks into the room and sits in the exact same spot as yesterday, just as Tony places the plate of waffles in front of him. Not bothering to wait for an invite to start eating, Loki takes the cream and smears it all over the top waffle. Tony watches the god in amusement, wishing he had the same appetite.

_Though I suppose if I was left without dinner I would be just as hungry. Well, not that I ate last night but…Fuck why does it matter._

"I've got a few meetings to attend today, so you're going to be here alone again." Loki pauses eating and looks up at Tony, waiting for him to continue. "Don't bother trying anything stupid, I'll still be watching you and JARVIS is always ready to act as well. And to keep you busy, I've left a little something for you to do. The clothes you didn't fold yesterday, yeah, you're doing that today. And if I were you I would do what I tell you, because I'm really sure you don't want to find out what will happen if you don't." Tony pauses, waiting for a reaction, a nod, an acknowledgement, something. But Loki remains silent and still as a statue, staring back at Tony.

Clearing his throat, Tony puts the now empty cup into the sink and turns to walk to the elevator. "Have fun. Oh and if you get hungry, get JARVIS to order you something."

* * *

Having finished eating, Loki sits at the table looking at nothing and contemplating his options. Clearly no part of him wants to fold clothes – or do any sort of work for that matter – but he figures his choices are few and limited in this situation. Reluctantly getting up, he heads in the direction of Tony's bedroom, once again stopping by everything on his way there in a last attempt to stall some time.

Tony did say he was going to be busy today, or he had at least implied that, but Loki didn't actually know when the inventor would be coming home. There really was no point in putting off the work, if Tony came home before Loki was finished he really wouldn't be having the best evening. Walking around the closet a couple times, Loki settles down on the floor in the middle of the room, a pile of washed clothes in front of him.

Having never folded clothes himself, Loki has no idea where to start what-so-ever. There have been times where he randomly folded his clothes and put them away, but his folding was nothing compared to how neat everything was in Tony's closet. For a moment the god wonders if he should ask JARVIS for help or instructions, but in the end decides against it. There is no way Loki, the God of Mischief and Lies, will ask a voice on the wall for help. His status was degrading enough, there was no need to demean himself lower than he already was.

Instead, Loki gets up and walks to one of the shelves. Taking a shirt he looks at it curiously, studying it from every angle and side before deciding to unfold it and see how this whole folding business is done. But before he can do that, the shirt falls open and hangs over his arm. Grumbling in frustration, the god throws the shirt over his shoulder onto the pile of clean laundry on the floor.

_Delightful, one extra shirt for me to fold now. This is preposterous; this whole punishment Odin came up with is ludicrous._

Sighing, Loki takes another shirt, this time making sure to hold it properly. But once again, as he tries to open it, it slips through his fingers and falls open in his arms. With an exasperated cry, the god flings the shirt onto the floor, already reaching for another one and another one, placing them on the floor in a neat pile. If he's ever to finish this tedious task, he better figure out how to fold these closes now.

After examining a dozen more shirts, Loki thinks he has a pretty good idea of what to do. Pulling a random shirt out of the pile, he places it in front of him and goes through the motions of folding it, which are now carved into his brain – possibly forever. Halfway through, however, the god realizes that this shirt is different from the ones he's been looking at for the past 15 minutes. Sparing a look at another shelf somewhere above him, he sees that there are indeed different styles and types of shirts in Tony's closet.

_They are all shirts; I do not see how it would be possible to fold each one differently._

* * *

A few hours later Loki finds himself surrounded by small piles of folded clothes…well folded being an overstatement. Little heaps of clothes surround the god on all sides, extending around him in a large circle. Hard as he tried, the folding process didn't go as well as he hoped it would have.

A shadow falls across the pile right in front of him and Loki looks up. Tony stands in the doorway, a smirk on his face as he surveys the mess around the god. Loki looks back with a blank face, his eyes slightly wider than usual, not knowing what kind of reaction to expect from Tony. Hopefully not anger at his failed attempt to complete the chore. At least there was an attempt, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you every one for your support and interest in this story. I'm glad you enjoy it and I hope you'll stick with me till the end.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, thank you all immensely for such positive feedback! I'm super happy that so many of you are enjoying the story and I promise it gets even more interesting!
> 
> Sorry for having such short chapters, I'm working on making them longer, but it might take a while for them to actually become longer as a few of them are already written and I can't change them. For now, enjoy the new chapter, and let me know what you think of it.

_A shadow falls across the pile right in front of him and Loki looks up. Tony stands in the doorway, a smirk on his face as he surveys the mess around the god. Loki looks back with a blank face, his eyes slightly wider than usual, not knowing what kind of reaction to expect from Tony. Hopefully not anger at his failed attempt to complete the chore. At least there was an attempt, right?_

Without a word Tony turns around and walks away, leaving Loki staring at the empty doorway, his heart pounding. The god scrambles around trying to fix the multiple piles of clothes surrounding him while keeping an eye on the door in case Tony shows up again. After nothing happens Loki relaxes and simply sits in the middle of the room, surrounded by clothes.

Ten minutes later Loki is still sitting in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do. Tony hasn't in fact come back, and after fixing up the piles Loki just sat there, waiting for...something. Just the fact that Tony ignored Loki is strange. Yes Tony generally tries to ignore the god and pretend he isn't there, but not when it comes to chores.

Two ideas weave themselves into existence in Loki's mind. Either Tony will come back furious or he really doesn't care at all. Of course after what happened yesterday, there is no way Tony won't care about Loki's inability to compete a simple task, assigned to him for the second time. But as the minutes tick by, the god can't help but hope that Tony in fact won't punish him.

"Loki, come here."

Loki's heart drops down to his stomach. So Tony is in fact displeased, to say the least. Reluctantly the god gets up, knowing full well it's a bad idea to keep Tony waiting, but being unable to help himself. He makes his way to the doorway separating the closet from the rest of Tony's bedroom and stops, afraid to cross the threshold.

Maybe he should apologize. That could certainly make the punishment lesser. Masters in Asgard didn't care for excuses, however, an apology would at least make Loki seem remorseful and show that he understood the task hasn't been completed properly.

In the end the god decides against it. He's deprecated enough already, no need to give Tony yet another reason to belittle him further. So he simply stands quietly in the doorway, waiting for whatever Tony has in store for him.

"Come here, sit."

Loki's knees almost give way as he looks at Tony gesturing to the bed. Slaves in Asgard were never asked to sit down when their master talked to them, especially not on the same furniture. They were never asked to sit down, period. Except for special occasions...

_He couldn't possibly...No...I didn't complete what was asked of me, there would be no reason..._

After a moment of silence Tony gestures to the god again.

"Come on, I'm not going to bite."

Loki's fists clench as he wills his knees not to bend and his legs to move him forward. Slowly he walks over to the bed and sits on the very edge of it - as far as possible from Tony without falling off.

The inventor shoots Loki a slightly puzzled look, but doesn't comment. Instead Tony starts taking off his jacket and shirt. Once Loki realizes what the inventor is doing the god jerks back, fists clenching the fabric of the bed beneath him.

Tony pauses and looks at Loki with a bewildered expression.

"You okay man? You look like you just saw a ghost."

Desperately trying to control his breathing Loki swallows heavily and gives Tony a slight nod.

Still confused, Tony shrugs and proceeds to take off his shirt.

"Alright, this is how you do it." The inventor takes his shirt and spreads it out on the bed beside him. Loki looks over, a look of confusion spread all over his face.

"What? What use are you to me if you can't even fold a shirt?" Tony looks up at the god to make sure he's watching and starts folding the shirt lying between them. "Yeah I know it's weird. Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist and he knows how to fold shirts. Well you see, my dad was rather fond of me knowing how to do everything...and I mean  _everything_. I swear sometimes I felt like a house maid with the things he made me do. And there you go." Tony places the now folded shirt in front of Loki.

The god looks at it for a moment before taking it and unfolding it. Without a word he begins repeating the actions Tony went through. Once he's finished what lies on the bed is a heap of cloth, barely passable as folding.

Tony huffs out a little laugh. "Well it takes time, but you're getting there. Luckily you have all that stuff in my closet to practice on." With a wave in the general direction of the closet Tony gets up and heads out of the room. Probably to get a drink or work in his lab.

Loki gets up and heads for the closet again, his body unable to move fast enough to satisfy his need to leave the room. The back of his mind is still playing out the different scenarios which could have happened, but luckily didn't. If he could help himself, he'd rather never set foot in Tony's room ever again.

Loki spent the rest of the day folding and re-folding Tony's shirts until everything was folded properly and sorted into piles. Tony came to get him for dinner late at night and Loki was more than happy to leave the stuffy room. He's had enough of Tony's shirts for a lifetime.

* * *

 

The next morning Loki wakes up at 10 AM. He can't even remember the last time he got to sleep in this late.

That privilege left him when he was just a child. Back then he had no duties and all the time in the world to himself. But as his teenage years approached, Loki found a hobby. Waking up early meant he had time to do a little mischief around the palace. To the god, it became routine waking up before the sun was up and sneaking around.

As he grew older, certain duties and obligations hung themselves on his shoulders. His days of little pranks and jokes were over, as he was inclined to perform the duties which came with being a Prince of Asgard. On top of that, Loki had started scheming plans to ruin Thor's reputation or get himself to the throne. All in all, Loki no longer had free time, and definitely no time to sleep and lounge around in his bed. And here on Midgard, JARVIs usually woke him up at Tony's request.

After taking a shower- a privilege he is glad to have – Loki sits on the bed and waits for Tony to call him for breakfast. 10 minutes later Loki is still sitting on the bed, not a word heard from JARVIS or Tony.

After what happened yesterday it's not surprising. Tony, of course, has no reason to feed Loki breakfast. In Asgard, no slave would go unpunished for failing to complete the task assigned, or miserably failing at doing so in Loki's case. No matter how nice Tony had acted about the situation, there's no doubt he was still unhappy about Loki's failure.

An hour later the god is still sitting on his bed waiting for…something. Multiple times Loki had contemplated asking JARVIS about the whole situation. The AI was sure to know what Tony's intentions were, or at least what was happening. Yet every time Loki decided against it. JARVIS was rather close with Tony, in a strange kind of way. They understood each other like no one else could; JARVIS was like a computerized part of Tony. And surely the inventor wouldn't take kindly to Loki talking with JARVIS.

Not that the god cared much for what Tony wanted, but if he was already displeased about yesterday, there was no need to pour oil into the fire. If Loki had a chance to avoid a pissed off Tony, he would most certainly use it to his advantage.

Eventually Loki gave in to his curiosity. It wasn't so much that he wanted to know where Tony was, but talking to the AI itself. Asgard never had any kind of invention even similar to JARVIS, and Loki being a fan of magic and complicated things was really curious about how it worked.

"…JARVIS…where is Tony Stark at the moment?" Holding his breath, Loki half expected Tony to bust into the room and yell at him or the AI not to reply at all. But JARVIS simply replied in that polite yet authoritarian voice.

"Mr. Stark is currently in his workshop."

"What is he doing there?"

"Mr. Stark is currently passed out, as he had stayed up late last night drinking."

Sighing, Loki leans back against the wall and waits. His mind wanders between distant memories of childhood and Asgard and his current situation. Never would he have expected to end up in a situation like this. After sulking for a while he takes off his shirt and begins folding and unfolding it, mind still drifting in and out of memory lane.


	7. Chapter 7

 

"Ugh fuck..." Tony groans and rolls over on the fl oor of his workshop, head pounding and stomach growling for food. The thing he hates most about getting drunk - and the only thing - is the hangovers which haunt him the next day. Tony can handle a lot of alcohol since his body got used to it. During his MIT days he used to party like no tomorrow, drinking like his life depended on it, so his body got used to the large intake of alcoholic substances and just dealt with it. Like it did with all the other shit Tony did to it. Yet last night he must have really outdone himself; his head was still buzzing as well as feeling like it's about to split in two.

Slowly and very laboriously Tony stumbles to the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee maker. Coffee has been his best friend ever since he went to MIT, and it's probably his only friend which never has - and never will - abandon him.

After making himself a cup Tony sits at the table, sipping on his coffee. Somehow he can't help but feel like there's something he's forgetting. The penthouse seems too quiet, though it's always like this. Even when Pepper still lived here, it was never loud or eventful - except for the few times when Tony threw parties. Yet now it almost seems eerie and simply too empty for one person.

"JARVIS, turn on some music. Loud. It's too fucking quiet and creepy here."

"Sir, may I suggest inviting our guest to breakfast? He has inquired your whereabouts an hour ago."

"Oh shit, Loki. I knew there was something I was forgetting. Yeah call him here. But still turn on the music. And JARVIS, he's not 'our guest'."

"Yes sir."

A few minutes later Loki is sitting in his usual spot at the table, eating cereal with Tony sipping his coffee and unhappily mumbling under his breath.

_Maybe I should hire a babysitter for him. Fuck, he'll probably kill them or something._

"Ahem. Well I'll be spending my day in my workshop. And you, you're going to be cleaning this floor. Literally. DUM-E is completely useless, but now that you're living here, well it's like I got my personal maid." The signature Tony Stark grin was spread on the inventor's face as he looked at the god.

Loki makes no move to acknowledge Tony's presence or command. After a minute of gloating, Tony walks over to the cupboards and grabs a few bottles of scotch and rum to take with him down to his workshop.

"Everything you'll need is in the living room. Ciao!" The elevator doors close leaving Loki sitting at the table staring at his half empty bowl of cereal.

Losing all appetite, the god gets up and wanders over to the living room. A bright red bucket indeed stands in the middle of the living room, with a large piece of cloth hanging from the side of it.

_Not even a broom...just like in Asgard._

Loki stands in front of the bucket, scowling at it and wishing he could make it disappear. Washing the floors is one thing, but having to crawl around on the floor like a true slave...well that was too much for the god to handle.

Loki's pride and dignity have been damaged enough as it is, he will not be subsiding to the slave level. Even if that is what he is, Loki refuses to accept it. Plus, Tony didn't seem to know exactly how slaves are supposed to behave, so that left him with some leeway for his actions. And even though Tony acted violently the last time Loki refused to do the task at hand, the god is willing to face those consequences again. Anything is better than crawling around on the floor like some sort of animal.

Loki turns away from the bucket and walks in the direction of his room. Tony's house isn't decorated with too many things, but there is an occasional painting on the wall, or sculpture in a corner. As much as Loki hates to admit it, these things pique his interest.

When growing up, Loki spent a lot of time walking up and down the art galleries in the Asgardian palace. He was always attracted to beautiful artwork, be it paintings or poetry or music. But the paintings in Asgard were mostly of battles and warriors and triumphant moments. So not relating to the God of mischief in any way.

There would always be the occasional painting of something other than a battle - a landscape or town. Loki tended to enjoy those more, they were calm and peaceful and simply...beautiful. But the paintings and sculptures in Midgard were very much different from the Asgardian ones. Or at least the ones lining the walls of Stark Tower's halls.

They seem too simple, merely lines of different colours placed on the canvas. Or squares of different colours. The ideas baffle Loki, but in such a way which makes him want to know more. Though looking simple, there is still something very unique and intriguing about them.

Loki wanders the halls of the penthouse for hours, finding a new detail in every art display each time around. Art and beauty are the only things the god could never become bored of. Just like magic, it belonged with him.

Occasionally Loki would pass the bucket patiently waiting for him in the middle of the room. The god stopped in front of it a few times, glaring daggers at it. But since the bucket never disappears nomatter how long or how much Loki glares at it, he simply turns around and continues his exploration.

* * *

As evening draws near there's no sign of Tony. Sitting on the windowsill Loki wonders if the inventor is once again passed out in his workshop. That would mean the god will have no dinner, once again.

Loki doesn't fret. He doesn't actually need food to survive, like mortals do. Food is simply a luxury every Asgardian allows himself, but by no means is it a necessity. Of course after a long while the effects of hunger will start to show, but that can take weeks. Months, even, if the body is strong and healthy. So one night without dinner is just one night without a luxury.

That's not to say that Asgardians didn't have an appetite though. Take Thor for example. He can eat and eat and still want more. The point is, even though gods don't  _need_  to eat, they still have an appetite. Or they could, if they wanted to eat something.

The chime of the elevator doors radiates through the room and Loki turns his head in its direction. The sight that greets him is definitely not a pleasant one.

Tony stumbles out of the elevator, barely able to keep his balance. Walking – or more like stumbling – to the living room Tony trips over his feet at least 5 times, barely missing the coffee table. Clearly he's had too much to drink and is completely out of it and that can't mean anything remotely good for Loki. If last time was anything to go by.

Quietly Loki gets up and walks towards the bucket still waiting for him in the middle of the living room, but stops when he notices Tony approaching. One half of Loki is beginning to regret the decision of ignoring Tony, but another assures his it was the right - and only - thing to do.

The god waits in anticipation for...well he doesn't know for what, but certainly hopes not another beating. Tony is too wasted to stand properly, so surely his brain couldn't comprehend and register the fact that Loki had failed to complete his duties.

Tony stops in front of the bucket, eyeing it curiously as if trying to figure out what it's doing in the middle of his living room. Then his eyes travel up to the god and a wide grin spreads on his face, meaning only one thing: trouble. Wobbling around the bucket, Tony closes the distance between himself and the god.

"Well well, aren't we feeling rebellious again." Tony's grin changes into a deathly scowl, Loki practically hearing the inventor's jaws breaking.

The god curses himself for his stupid action of ignorance as Tony's fist connects with his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fanservice rocks. I do it. *hint hint*


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry for the hiatus. My laptop broke and all my chapters are on there! I'm getting it fixed, so please bare with me. But, here is the next chapter, hopefully it will satisfy your hunger for more Loki and Tony!

The first punch is followed by another and another and so on. Tony takes no mercy on the god, his mind not fully understanding the severity of his actions.

The inventor beats Loki until the god falls to the floor, clutching his stomach and barely able to breathe. Seeming satisfied Tony decides to lecture Loki.

"I thought we already went over 'is. You disobey, you get punished. And remember 'is, next time it'll be much worse, got 't?" The effects of the alcohol clearly present themselves in his speech, but Tony's sure Loki understands what he's talking about.

Loki kneels on the floor in front of Tony, clutching his stomach, head pressed against the floor. It almost looks like the god is praying to the man standing in front of him. Almost. Save for the small pool of blood around the god and the wheezing coming from him.

Loki hears what Tony says, but none of the words register. His body is in so much pain he can barely remember how to breathe and that he _needs_ to breathe.

His healing powers kicked in since the first punch, which really, Loki didn't feel all that much. But as the beating got worse and worse his powers couldn't keep up. And now that the healing process could properly start, Loki's pain increased to an unbearable level.

That's the thing with life - Asgardian or human - for every good thing there is always a bad to counter it.

After Tony is done lecturing Loki for the 10th time since the god's arrival, he turns around and stalks to his room. Loki lays on the floor, letting the tears finally fall now that he's alone. The pain is more than unbearable, twisting every part of his body inside out. Loki's mouth is open in a silent scream, but not making a sound.

He tells himself he'll move to his room once the pain lessens. Closing his eyes Loki curls into himself on the floor and waits. His mind drifts off and within a minute Loki is sleeping on the floor.

His dreams are filled with nothing but the pain he feels.

* * *

Loki stirs, opening his eyes to an unfamiliar sight; bright red blob in front of his face. The god untangles his limbs from each other, wincing at the pain and sits up.

Looking around Loki realizes he's in Stark's living room, the events of last night rushing back. Clearly Loki had slept here the entire night, the pain being too great to move. Luckily he woke up before Stark, or he would have had another unpleasant encounter.

Deciding it best to wait for Tony to wake up in his own room, Loki gets up. Before he can even take one step though, Tony walks into the living room.

"Oh good, you're already up. We got a looong day ahead of us today." The inventor smirks as he passes Loki, heading for the coffee maker in the kitchen.

_He knows not of what transpired last night. And my body bears no marks of the abuse either._

Tony strolls back to the living room with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Now I seem to recall that yesterday you failed to complete your assigned task. Again. And that's a problem." Taking a long sip of his coffee, Tony waits for Loki to reply or at least say something. The god just stands there, not making a sound, staring ahead of himself.

"Alright. Seeing how you don't have anything to say...you probably feel nothing either. Anyway, you listen here. I'm tired of all your bullshit. If you keep ignoring my orders and doing as you please, I'll be taking VERY different measures."

Loki's face remains expressionless, but the gears inside his head begin to move. What other possible punishment could there be other than pain? Humiliation? Torture?

It doesn't seem like Tony to torture anyone. Not that Loki expects the inventor to have a heart and care, but he knows it's no longer acceptable in Midgard to abuse anyone severely.

And Tony himself isn't one for abuse, but he does mean what he says. New measures must be taken to make sure Loki doesn't misbehave. The first night was enough, Tony doesn't want him to go batshit crazy again and this time kill him in his sleep.

"Now clean the floors. And I mean now, in front of me." Tony sits on the couch, crossing his legs and placing his coffee mug on the side table.

Loki doesn't movie and simply looks at the bucket and then at Tony, eyebrows raised. Yes he knows defying the inventor now isn't the best thing to do in the world - hell, it's the least best thing - but he's a god of mischief, it's in his nature. It isn't Loki if he doesn't cause a few problems, even if they're problems that he's causing himself.

Tony stares at Loki expecting the god to move. Loki doesn't dare move a muscle, staring at the floor. There are so many things going through his head which he wants to spit at the inventor. But he knows he can't. A repeat of last night is the last thing he wants right now.

"I SAID wash the damn floor!"

Loki remains silent.

"Are you deaf you fucking son of a birch. I said wash. The. Fucking. FLOOR!"

"No," comes the quiet growl from Loki.

"That's it. That is fucking IT." Filled with rage Tony practically jumps off the couch advancing on Loki, a scowl plastered on his face, hands clenched into fists.

Loki flinches without meaning to. Stunned by his reaction, he freezes once again, unable to even lift a hand to block the incoming Tony.

"Sir, I do believe this course of action is not in your best interests. Loki has already suffered numerous beatings from –"

"Shut up JARVIS."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry for the hiatus. My laptop broke and I lost everything on it, including my fanfic. But I'm back, and I will try to update constantly once again, despite my exams coming up.

Tony's advance slows down a bit as his brain processes the words spoken by JARVIS. What had the AI meant by the god had already suffered enough beatings? He didn't seem in that bad of a condition when he arrived, Loki's treatment in the cells of Asgard couldn't have been  _that_ bad. He is a prince after all, even if not the most liked and admirable.

_Mental note: remind myself to ask JARVIS about this. How would he know what went on in Asgard?_

Composing himself Tony quickly closes the distance between himself and the god. Grabbing Loki by the arm, the inventor half drags half pulls him to the middle of the room, stopping right in front of the bucket. For extra effect, Tony shoves Loki towards it, making sure to use enough force so he'll stumble.

"Once again - and I will NOT be repeating myself - wash the damn fucking floors you bastard!"

Silence. Loki continues to stand, eyes cast downward at the floor. For a few moments neither make a sound, the only thing being audible is Tony's heavy breathing.

Tony supposes he's the one to blame for Loki's behavior and actions. He's been too soft on him, allowing the god to do as he pleases and to ignore the tasks assigned. Rules should have been set out and written across Loki's forehead the first night he arrived to the tower. Tony wasn't one to follow rules, especially in his early days. In contrast, he would always disobey and break them, simply for the thrill of it and to see how much he could get away with. But he doubts this is what Loki's trying to do. The god already showed that he can't get away with what he wants, and that landed him here, in the Avengers tower. So Tony is really the one to blame for letting Loki think he can do whatever, just on a lower scale.

_I really should have just taken a Sharpie and written the fucking rules on his forehead. Maybe that way he'd have remembered them every time he looked in the mirror. Guess now's the time to make things perfectly clear._

Stepping forward Tony extends his hand, fingers grasping around the god's throat, squeezing slightly more than necessary. Immediately Loki's hands fly up, grabbing the fingers clasped tightly around his throat, desperately trying to pry them off. In answer, they squeeze even tighter, restricting any air passage for the god.

"Alright princess. We've been over this before, and I shouldn't have to do this, but I think that tiny brain of yours didn't catch what I said last time." Tony's voice was calm and steady, not outraged as it had been just moments ago. In a way it resembled the tone of a teacher who was mad, but spoke almost at a whisper, making it sound that much more terrifying.

"Firstly there are rules in my Tower, and you  _will_ follow them," his fingers squeeze tighter, "without a single complaint. I read you the list and you better fucking remember it, because I will not be reading it again. Break another rule, and all hell will break loose in your world.

"You remember that brother of yours, goes by the name of Thor? Yeah well, I can talk to your brother any time I want, and I'm damn sure if I tell him of this – of you doing all the shit you please and ignoring me – he won't be pleased. What's more, I'm sure you daddy will be even less pleased."

_Fuck, I really hope he doesn't know I don't have contact with Thor unless he decides to grace our presence with his._

A flicker of something – not quite identifiable – but still there told Tony that Loki did in fact believe him.

"Now you will be a good little god, and follow the rules, understood?" Tony's fingers gripped the throat tighter, and he could tell Loki was having trouble breathing now. "You will also do every single chore or task I have for you, and I will  _not_ hear the word "no" leave your mouth even once. Ever." Squeezing tight one last time, tony adds, "Daddy's watching. You better behave."

Loki is shamelessly clawing at the fingers griping his throat, silently beginning for them to release him and let him breathe. There's no panic in his eyes, but his lungs are desperate for air, and his body is almost acting without his will. Feeling satisfied and quite proud of himself, Tony smiles sweetly at the god in front of him and releases his deathly grip on the god's throat.

Loki drops to his knees, both hands wrapping protectively around his throat.

"Look who's kneeling now. 'Burdened with glorious purpose' my ass."

* * *

Loki hears a voice somewhere above him, but has neither strength nor will to look up and distinguish the words. Instead, he sits on the floor, hands wrapped around his throat, wheezing. Every intake of breath hurts, but Loki knows he's been through much worse, and this is nothing compared to the pain he felt.

His vision is hazy around the edges, a sure sign he was about to lose consciousness. And he would have if Tony hadn't released him. Being a Norse god, Loki was able to not breathe longer than any human could hold out without air, but he still had a limit. Loki wouldn't have died – will never die due to lack of air – but he can pass out. One of the perks of being a god.

_But sometime you will beg for death and it will never come, just like it hadn't then…No I should not be thinking of such times._

And for the first time a thought occurred to Loki, which had occurred many times before, but never in such a situation. No matter the abuse and punishment which he surely will be subjected to, he will never be able to end it. No matter the pain or torture Tony may put him through, he will survive every single minute and second of it, coming out alive.

Loki may have wounds which won't heal for days, weeks, months even, and his body may be pushed to the brink of death, but that release, that end will never come. The pain and suffering will always haunt him, it will follow him until his last days here, or Ragnarök, with no escape route.

 _Pain and suffering. The only things I have felt my entire life, always coming back for me. But no matter how many times I_ beg,  _death never comes. It never came, and I was left to suffer and hate myself for what I am. Is death such a privilege that a creature like me may never taste it?_

Loki knows the reality of his situation, be it now or 1000 years from now. There will never be an end.

* * *

Back in his room Tony lays on his bed staring up at the ceiling. Tony was so desperately trying to figure out what JARVIS meant, but no possible explanation presented itself. In the end Tony gave in.

"JARVIS, how do you know about how many beatings Loki went through?"

"I have them all recorded on the security feeds, sir. I was present and watching when they happened."

"What do you mean you have them all recorded. That would mean he was beaten here, which he wasn't…JARVIS are you telling me  _I_ beat him?"

"Precisely, sir. Would you like me to replay all of them?" Tony jumped up from his bed and began pacing the room, his hands unable to stay still and constantly running through his hair.

"Oh hell no JARVIS. Are you  _crazy?_ I would never do something like that. I mean I know I practically hate the guy, and he did try to kill me on multiple occasions, but we're not back in the Middle Ages. I'm not some psychopath that tortures people. I'm –"

"Sir, ever since Loki's arrival and refusal to comply to your terms you have been "teaching him a lesson" as you yourself put it. Although I must say you were intoxicated every time, so it is quite possible you do not remember these occurrences."

Tony sat down hard on his bed unable to believe a word JARVIS was saying. Yet it couldn't have been lies. JARVIS was unable to lie, and damn, sometimes he was a little too honest and blunt with his words. But even so, Tony's mind could not wrap around the truth of him beating Loki. He would never beat anyone, that was a promise he made to himself as a child. After Howard…

_No. Fuck it, no. Don't go there Tony, don't you fucking dare go there. You are way past that chapter in the book and no way in hell are you returning there._

"JARVIS…show me the feed."

Tony watches, horrified, what he put Loki through in the last couple of days. The beatings, the pain…it was too much to look at, but he forced himself to look anyway so he would never make this same mistake again. No matter how dangerous or annoying or rebellious Loki could be, he did not deserve this kind of treatment. And certainly not because he was a different race.

The world strives to create equality and protect everyone from harm and torture and here Tony is, doing that which is exactly against every human moral, including his own.

"Delete all this footage JARVIS…Actually don't. Transfer it to my private server, lock it in a folder and make sure no one has access to it."

"Already done, sir."

"Don't  _ever_ let me do anything like this ever again."

"Certainly, sir."


	10. Chapter 10

Every minute seems to stretch on for hours, the time creeping slowly, almost still altogether. Loki continues to sit on the floor as his body regains control of itself and gets oxygen moving through his bloodstream again. When feeling and consciousness return Loki forces his thoughts back to the task at hand: washing the floors.

The idea of crawling around on the floor like an animal and mopping dirt still disgusts and repels him. He is a God! Yet here he is, lowering himself not only to the Midgardian level, but the equivalent of a slave of a Midgardian. Yet a part of him actually wants to complete the chore. The small rational part which overrides his sense of grandeur and his pride. Loki's encounters with a very unhappy Tony haven't been full of joy and happiness. No, in fact they have been getting worse and worse every new day, every new task. So now that small rational part of his brain is forcing Loki to reconsider his behaviour and think before acting.

At first it wasn't so bad, he was willing to put up with Tony's tantrums as long as he was left alone in the end. Being from Asgard, Loki's able to handle a couple of beatings – after all he's had much worse back in Asgard in the past millennia and survived. But if these beatings turn constant, Loki won't be having such a pleasant time. He'll be able to tolerate and survive the punishments, but each time the pain will be worse. His magic needs time to heal him, but with every abuse the process will take longer, making the pain more vivid and last longer. So maybe he can comply with Tony's whims, just to avoid all of that. He's suffered enough in the past, in the dungeon in Asgard, in the palace. His whole life has been nothing but suffering, and now there is a way to avoid all that.

Letting out a long sigh Loki slowly gets up and heads over to the bucket which is waiting for him a few feet away. Deliberately he makes his movements as slow as possible, stalling time, but knowing it's a futile effort.

In fact, he should consider himself lucky instead of sulking and wallowing in self-pity and hatred. Looking back on all the times he disobeyed Tony and talked back at him, he barely has a scratch. Had he been in Asgard, his master would have beaten him to near-death, leaving him a pile of broken bones. Not to mention the whipping he would have received, and the lack of food, meaning his body wouldn't have been able to regenerate its strength fast enough. And still he would have been forced to work, completing all assigned duties, or else another punishment would follow suit.

In a twisted way, Loki should be grateful for such soft punishments. He knows all too well what life should be like for him now, he inflicted it on others one too many times to count.

Letting out a frustrated growl the god bends down to pick up the bucket, hating it more and more by the second. Not only does it remind him of what he's about to do, but the vibrant red colour mocks him, reminding Loki of Thor. He has a sudden urge to kick and smash the bucket until nothing but tiny pieces remain.

It's a rational anger. After all, Thor was the one who reject him, cast him aside into the shadows, and now sent him here, to Midgard, to suffer in the hands of one of his friends. Loki still remembers his not-brother's face during the trial...a look of emptiness and apathy written on his features. Family doesn't treat each other like this. This isn't family.

He comes back to reality when the bucket hits the bathtub. Looking down he notices his shaking hands, realizing his whole body is trembling with anger. Tears fill his eyes, but Loki wills them away, refusing to cry. Scowling at himself and all the memories which taunt him, he fills the bucket with water and continues with his task.

Without a second thought Loki gets right down to it. He's seen servants clean and wash floors; he knows how it's done. There were days where Loki would sit in his room and simply stare at the servants, watching how they completed their tasks out of sheer boredom.

And so Loki crawls around the living room on all fours, dragging the rag and bucket around, washing every single inch of the floor. It's so humiliating, a god and a prince – or former prince – on his knees and doing a Midgardian's dirty chores. He's been tortured and humiliated before by friends and Thor and enemies, but he's never felt this before. This...disgrace and degration.

With every move Loki's head fills with whispers and sneers and jabs at his pride and self-worth and uselessness. So Loki pushes the rag in front of him harder, wiping the floor with more force, cleaning under everything he can move and under everything he can reach.

_Runt._

The couch.

_Failure._

The coffee table.

_Shadow._

The chairs.

_Frost Giant._

The bookshelf.

By the time Loki's finished the voices have faded away into nothingness and his memories no longer taunt him. But now his mind is back in reality and he thinks of what he just did. He feels like crying, thinking about having completed such a mundane task, but wills the tears away. Loki slumps down beside the bucket and just sits there, staring at the floor with a vacant expression.

Lost in his trance-like state Loki doesn't hear the chime of the elevator or the footsteps approaching him. At the sudden hand on his shoulder, Loki jerks back, scrambling to stand up. The bucket flies a little way across the room, a small piece of red plastic falling on the floor.

"Well, would you look at that. Cinderella finally understands her place."

Loki stands across from Tony, eyes cast to the ground and heart pounding so loud he's sure Tony could hear it. Of course Loki doesn't startle easily, but with his mind flying somewhere in the realm of memories, he completely let his guard down. For a while he had forgotten about Tony and why he was here and the life that went on around him.

"My warnings finally got through that thick skull of yours. You know, I was worried I'd have to start using different measures to get you to listen. Even thought about trying to get a hold of Thor, but then I figured I should try some of my other methods. I'm glad to know you understand your place, Princess, it was getting annoying dealing with your fucked up tantrums and shit…"

_God Tony, way to make him feel safer. "Other measures?" The hell you planning on doing, whipping him?_

_Shit, no don't think about that. It wasn't your fault, you were drunk and you didn't know you were beating him. Be happy he finally obeys; you don't have to use any "other measures". Breathe._

Suddenly Loki turns around and walks off in the direction of his room. His mind screams at him to turn back, but he ignores it. His body's tense, expecting a blow to come with each step he takes or Tony's voice ordering him to return. But neither happens. Making it safely to his room, the god closes the door and curls up on his bed.

A few minutes after Loki's ungraceful and hasty exit, Tony hears a scream from none other but the god of mischief. Smiling to himself, Tony can't help but feel proud and accomplished, having finally "tamed" Loki into obedience. Serves him right, now he knows how people in Stuttgart felt.

Turning around and sweeping his eyes over the room, Tony doesn't expect much. After all, Loki was a prince; he probably never held a dirty piece of clothing in his hands. But as he looks at the room, his jaw drops.

The floor is literally almost sparkling, looking as if it hasn't been touched or stepped on with not a single speck of dust visible anywhere.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terribly sorry for such a long delay between updates. I've had school, and university applications and papers and a whole lot of other things. I'm binge writing this, so hopefully I can get a new update up in a week, or even sooner. I love you all, and thank you for sticking around this long to read this.

Loki can feel the chill around him, seeping into his bones. Into his very being. His body begins to shake uncontrollably, from the cold or from fear – Loki isn't sure which.

The only light in the room comes from a tiny crack in the wall, far above his head. It's just a ray of sunlight – hitting the stone floor right in the middle – leaving everything around it engulfed in darkness. Loki can barely make out his hands which are right in front of his face, all bloody and covered with scrapes, bruises and cuts.

He shifts slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position. A grave mistake. Instantly pain shoots up his spine and into every possible part of his body, leaving Loki frozen mid-move for fear of bringing more pain upon himself. He's been left here for what must be a week now, barely getting any food. Not that he wants more anyway, but his body is getting weaker and weaker.

Sometimes guards would come down and get him, bring him Upstairs. Although a prisoner, his skills were still valued and occasionally he'd be released from his cell to complete what was required of him. More often than not Loki would return beat up and bloody accompanied by a few sprains, maybe some broken bones and barely standing. Thrown into his cell over and over again, spitting insults and curses at the guards, his last and only feeble attempt to rebel.

Of course Loki knows all his efforts are pointless. He will rot in his cell day after day and month after month until he dies or is no longer needed. In which case he will be killed anyway, as there was no reason to keep him alive – a dangerous criminal who is no longer able to "help" the King of Asgard, or the healers or the Committee. There is no escape and no way to end his suffering, should he want to.

Slowly the tiny ray of light begins to ebb away, the darkness consuming the room once again. A pleading whimper escapes Loki in a desperate attempt to get the light to return, for the darkness holds only evil and more suffering. Instinctively Loki curls in on himself, bringing his knees closer and wrapping his arms around them. His body feels like it's burning alive, but Loki ignores the pain and tries to make himself disappear. He can hear footsteps approaching him somewhere close and he tenses his body waiting for what's to come next. Whether they're real or brought into existence by his imagination Loki isn't sure, but no matter which they are, they never bring anything but excruciating pain and torment.

The first voice comes from the right. A quiet whisper, barely audible, yet as loud as an explosion in the empty cell. The second comes from the right, louder but speaking kind words. Loki whimpers, knowing that this is only the beginning.

_Please. Help me._

A child's voice, coming from the corner.

_I'm sorry. Please don't leave me here. Help me. Please._

The pleading ones are the worst; Loki can't bear to listen to them. Another child is crying beside him and the god almost reaches out his hand, but then –

_Monster. Worthless and useless runt._

A deep voice, full of disgust and hatred growls into Loki's ear, making him whimper once more. The god hears a sob to his right, a moan to his left. The child in the corner is moaning now, beginning for help. And the first two voices are back, circling around Loki, taunting him, mocking him. He can hear taunts and jabs from every direction and from every voice, reminding him of how worthless and useless he is. Reminding him of the monster and rejected runt that has been cast out and locked down here.

Suddenly a scream echoes through the dungeon, terrifying Loki. It's desperate and scared, making Loki's heart hammer in his chest. He brings his knees closer, burying his head lower in hopes of making the scream disappear.

It's his own. A desperate cry for help or maybe a way to block out the other voices which haunt him every day and night – even Loki himself isn't sure. Screaming and pleading voices, crying and whimpering, suffering. Sometimes they come from all around, whispers flitting and circling Loki, sometimes they are his own.

Out of nowhere there is a sharp stab of pain in Loki's shoulder and a quiet whimper escapes him. Shocked by the pain, he clutches his shoulder tightly, despite his body hurting from the movement. Loki desperately whips his head back and forth, trying to make out  _anything_ in the darkness surrounding him. Nothing but his own pain and the darkness greet the god.

Loki can feel panic begin to rise, and he struggles to push it down, bury it deep inside. His body tense, he waits for the next wave of pain to come. Keeping his body rigid and still is hard – his muscles are still sore from all the previous abuse – but he dares not move, knowing the pain will be even greater if he's not prepared for it. Seconds later another stab of pain in his shoulder follows the previous one and Loki winces, this time keeping quiet.

"Loki."

The last thing Loki sees is the face of Tony Stark with a wicked grin spread across his face. It's time for the next punishment.

* * *

Loki's eyes open to see Tony's face in front of his own and a hand clutching his shoulder.

"Don't!..." Startled from his nightmare Loki yells out what he's so used to yelling in his dreams. Automatically his hands rise in defense, ready to strike, but as realization sinks in and the fear in his mind fades, he lowers them.

"...Don't touch me." Tony let's go of Loki's shoulder and sits back, studying the god.

"You didn't wake up when JARVIS called you." Tony pauses, giving Loki a chance to speak. He doesn't. "When I came you were thrashing in your bed. Looked like you were in a lot of pain or suffering or both. I figured it'd be better to wake you up." At Loki's mocking huff Tony shrugs, a slight look of pity crossing his face.

"I know what nightmares are like. I've had my share of them. I'd rather be woken up than suffer through them."

"What makes you think I prefer the same."

"Nothing I guess. But I know that anyone would want their nightmares to end. And that includes you. So I woke you up. Didn't mean to scare you though."

Loki scowls at the man sitting on his bed, cursing himself for showing such weakness. It is none of Tony's business, and he sure as hell isn't supposed to know about Loki's nightmares. The constant haunting dreams that left the god breathless and sweating in the middle of the night.

Tony shrugs off the scowl and shoots Loki a smile instead. He places a pile of clothes on the bedside table for Loki to change into. The god had been wearing the same Asgardian drab since he was dropped off by Thor, and it didn't look to be in the best and cleanest condition.

"Change into those. Don't give me that face, they're clean and in much better condition than yours. Come to breakfast when you're done." With that Tony leaves Loki alone in the room staring at the small pile of clothes. For five minutes Loki sits in his bed glaring at the pile of clothes, contemplating whether he should take them or ignore them. Ignoring seemed like the better option. But at the same time Tony has a point. It's been a few days since Loki had a change of clothes and he definitely doesn't want to end up walking around and smelling like the royal stables.

Yet a part of Loki is reluctant to let go of his Asgardian clothes. He's pretty sure Tony will let him keep his clothes in his room, but it just wouldn't be the same as wearing them and constantly having them on him. Although yes, dirty and not in the best condition, his Asgardian outfit is still his and it reminds him of home. Not Asgard or the palace – no that isn't home. He despises Asgard after everything that's been done to him there, but the clothes themselves aren't really Asgardian either.

Before leaving Loki was allowed to choose what he would wear, and he chose one of his favourite outfits from his closet. Made by the elves of Alfheim, it was of the finest and highest quality, yet simple and elegant at the same time. The outfit reminded him of his home, the different realms he'd been to, the reality he created for himself. It was one of the last physical things he could hold onto of his previous life...his previous self.

Sighing, Loki takes the pile of clothes and heads for the bathroom. His rational side won over his sentimental side. Sentiment...it is truly a wicked and merciless thing.

Loki takes his time in the shower, enjoying the warm spray of water on his back and the misty air around him. He isn't sure if Tony would approve of waiting on him for so long, but JARVIS doesn't say anything and Tony doesn't come banging on the door and storming into his room, so Loki enjoys his shower, mentally washing away last night's dream.

To Loki's surprise the clothes actually look rather good on him. Used to wearing Asgardian outfits, full of frills and belts and buckles, Loki wasn't expecting to look good in simple and completely different Midgardian clothes. The black jeans fit almost perfectly, hanging a bit too low on the hips for his liking. The shirt has some strange logo in the middle which Loki has no idea the meaning of. It's dark green in colour, making Loki form a small smile.


	12. Chapter 12

Breakfast is the same as usual. Tony sits sipping his coffee and occasionally bites a piece of toast, which really, looks like he's shoving down his own throat. Loki's taken to eating waffles every day for breakfast, although Tony does buy other food. The inventor still gets DUM-E to put all the food available on the table, even though he always knows Loki will go for the waffles. After all, he can at least provide some variety and not look like he's forcing Loki to eat the same thing day after day.

"I got some work to take care of today. Again," Tony lets out an irritated sigh. "Been working on this project for SHIELD for a while now, and honestly it's so stupid and simple, but there's so much shit to be done that –" Tony inhales loudly, clearly out of air from his rambling.

"Anyway, that's not the point. Technically I shouldn't even be talking about this with you, but it's not like I'm telling you any classified or confidential information. Right. I'll be down in my workshop for the day, but you know the drill. Ask JARVIS for food, don't touch anything, don't wander around, yadda yadda." Tony spares a glance at Loki who's slightly hunched over his plate and looking like he doesn't exactly want to be seen.

"I do have a task for you to do so you won't feel too bored and lonely. I need my laundry done and since Butterfingers isn't exactly what I'd call skilled, I'm leaving the task to you." Loki briefly glances up, a curious expression on his face, at the mention of Butterfingers.

"It's another robot, like DUM-E," Tony waves his cup in the general direction of the robot in mention. Seeming content with himself, Tony gets up and puts his cup in the sink. After another glance at Loki to make sure the god doesn't have any questions Tony heads in the direction of the elevator.

Upon remembering the last few bits of information Tony yells over his shoulder, "I have absolutely no idea how to use the washing machine, usually Pepper did my laundry, or Butterfingers, but that didn't work out too well. There's an instructions manual somewhere in the room. Feel free to read that. And the instructions to washing the clothes are on the tags." With that Tony Stark disappears behind the doors of the elevator and Loki is left alone.

Loki isn't sure which idea is worse: washing the floors or doing laundry. Both have their disadvantages, for lack of a better word, and no advantages whatsoever.

He sits at the table for some minutes, trying to figure out what had just happened. Apparently there is a machine on Midgard which washes clothing, although Loki can't even imagine how it works or what it looks like. The relief of not having to wash everything himself with his own hands does wonders to Loki's mood. True, he is still displeased, and the task at hand is still degrading, but he's grateful for this Midgardian contraption which won't demean him any lower than he already was yesterday. Plus, this gives Loki the chance to wash his own clothes without having tospend hours bent over the bathtub.

Curiosity takes the better of him and Loki stalks off looking for this "washing machine" as Tony called it.

* * *

The first hour Loki spends trying to figure out how to use the washing machine. The instructions were easy to find, but they proved to be of little use. They have too many words Loki doesn't understand and on top of that there is one too many knobs and dials on the damned thing.

Frustrated beyond belief Loki half wishes Tony had told him to wash everything by hand. Surely that task would have been much easier and much more straightforward than what he's trying to accomplish now. In the end Loki decides to simply experiment with the washing machine, hoping something will turn out right. But he will conduct the experimentation after he's done sorting through the clothes, since the instructions state that the clothes must all be inside the washing machine before putting everything else in.

_Tags. I am supposed to sort these into piles by tags. What are these tags, I have never heard of such a word. This is absolutely absurd._

Loki sits on the floor, a giant pile of clothing surrounding him, a few shirts in his hands. The god curiously studies each shirt, turning it over and inside out and every which way, looking for something that represents a tag, whatever that is.

Finally his eyes fall upon the little tag tucked away in the seam of the shirt. After staring at it curiously for a few minutes Loki looks up, a look of confusion written all over his face. He expected words and instructions, but less of them due to the limiting space. Instead what he gets is a row of very confusing and seemingly meaningless images.

With an exasperated sigh and a groan of frustration Loki throws his hands up in the air and leans back against the wall.

"JARVIS I do not suppose you understand these peculiar images?"

"I do not, sir. However, I can look up the meaning on the Internet." And so JARVIS provides Loki will all the necessary information to sort the gigantic pile into smaller ones. In the end Loki has 5 and a half different piles of clothing based on the instructions from the tags. The half pile isn't really a pile, as it contains all the clothing Loki has no idea what to do with. The tags have no pictures and the language doesn't look like English. Of course Loki could ask JARVIS to help him out, but what was left of Loki's pride wouldn't let him.

Frustrated and with patience wearing thin Loki decides to combine a few piles together which look like they could be washed together.

In the end most of the clothes come out dyed. Some have colourful splotches and look like a very vibrant and vivid Bifrost. Others have lost their colour and look like paler shades of what they once were. Luck is clearly not on Loki's side today, as there are about 5 white shirts and a pair of pants left, as opposed to before, when half the clothing was white.

* * *

Tony finds Loki hours later, awkwardly sitting by the washing machine, folding the clothes. A number of piles of folded clothes already surround Loki; some bigger than others, but the floor is still littered with freshly washed clothes.

Loki notices the shadow fall across the floor and the pile right in front of him and looks up at Tony. Stark swears a look of horrors passes on Loki's face, but even if it was there, it disappears in less than a second. Tony doubts he imagined it, if the state of his clothes is anything to go by – they look like they've been passed through a rainbow back and forth.

Of course most of his clothes are ruined now. Tony can see the vivid colours in the shirts and the dyed pants, regardless of Loki's effort to hide them between the less…damaged ones. An amused grin spreads on Tony's face as he looks down at Loki. He can't help but wonder if Loki will tell him of his little – wow, understatement much – accident. The god remains silent, arms moving automatically folding the last few shirts and pants.

"Come on, it's time for dinner. You can go do whatever you want after. You have the evening free to yourself."

Tony's grin puzzles Loki, but he forces his brain not to analyze the situation and just go with it. Tony seems to be content and Loki is going to let him be just that. Getting an evening to himself without having to lick his wounds or snarl at his memories to go away sounds really nice, and Loki is embracing this opportunity with open arms.

Dinner is quiet, with Loki staring down into his plate of pasta and Tony half sleeping in his chair. It's a nice change from the usual loud Tony-talking evening, especially since there's no scolding, threatening or fighting happening.

Out of the corner of his eye Loki sees Tony refill his wine glass yet again. Generally alcohol and Tony together make Loki feel uncomfortable, maybe even slightly fearful, but now Loki is calm and not paying much attention to Tony. He did what was required of him and Tony has no reason to be upset, if the man's damned grin is anything to go by.

Letting his guard down is Loki's mistake.

It's too late to flee by the time Loki notices Tony walking towards him with a playful grin spread on his face. His hands grab the edge of the table, squeezing so hard that his knuckles turn white. How stupid the idea to assume Tony is happy had been.


	13. Chapter 13

Every step rings like a loud bell in Loki's mind and he can hear the blood roaring in his ears. He was so sure Tony was in a good mood, that the inventor was satisfied. Yet circumstances prove otherwise as Loki anticipates the unavoidable hit. The wine glass sloshes with Tony's uneven steps, full of red liquid resembling blood. Tony Stark is drunk, and in Loki's mind a drunken Tony leads to merciless abuse.

_The mortal knows. Of course he knows, he has all seeing eyes everywhere in this tower._

The god curses on the inside, mentally kicking himself for being so idiotic. How could he have thought hiding the ruined clothes to be a good idea? Lies and deceit have been his faithful companions throughout the centuries, yet he used his skill incorrectly today.

Loki's mind screams at him to confess to Tony, to come clean and apologize. There is no doubt that JARVIS was monitoring Loki today and relaying all the information to Tony. But Loki knows it's too late. No apology is going to make up for the his actions and Tony will have no reason to forgive.

Loki braces himself for the worst, clenching the edge of the table and keeping his head low as Tony stops beside him.

The hit never comes.

Instead, Tony casually sits on the side of the table beside Loki and just  _looks._ As nothing happens, Loki slowly raises his head, eyes darting between his plate of Tony's face, unsure of what to expect or do.

"You know, that shirt is one of my favourites," Tony jerks his wine glass at Loki. "And damn, it looks hot on you."

Loki's breath catches. Uncertain of what's happening, his brain furiously sorts through numerous possibilities of where this situation could be heading. His face remains blank like an expressionless mask, not a trace of a single emotion present. Yet inside is a whirlwind of emotions: hate, disgust, confusion, anger, bewilderment.

Tony reaches out his free hand and strokes Loki's hair. The movement is so soft and gentle that Loki jerks back as painful memories flood his mind. The gentle movement reminds him of Frigga's soft touch when she came to visit him. Back in Asgard, when he was still considered her son…

It takes every ounce of strength and willpower for Loki to keep quiet. He can fight back words and insults and orders with his own silvertongue. But Loki can't fight back physical advances. His options are clear: either take it or walk away, but the last would almost be like singing his own death will. In his current position Loki doesn't have the authority to be able to simply get up and walk away. Surely another beating would follow suit, with a few threats on the side.

_To Hel with it._

With impossible speed Loki gets up to leave, but Tony's hand darts out to grab the god's wrist. The grip is much tighter than Loki expects and he winces as he feels his wrist bend in an unnatural way.

"Now where d'you think you're goin' pretty boy? Evenin's just begun." The smirk can be heard in Tony's voice. Paralyzed by fear and confusion Loki lets himself be dragged to Tony's room, all the while trying to control his breathing and keep his face placid. The grip on his wrist is gentle yet firm, and Loki recognizes it as possessiveness. As the two men enter Tony's bedroom, the inventor unceremoniously pushes Loki towards the bed.

By this point Loki is really worried. Nevermind his pride, the god has absolutely no desire to engage in any activities with the playboy whatsoever, especially lascivious ones. It's one thing when he's in control and both parties are willing, but this…this is what happens in brothels. Loki lets out a startled yelp as Tony advances, pushing the god on the bed.

Loki's back hits the soft mattress as he lands between blankets and pillows. Immediately his hands fly up in an attempt to protect himself as the feeling of helplessness slowly creep up on him. Loki fights back as hard as he can, ready to kick Tony if the need arises. Out of nowhere a pair of hands flash before his eyes as Tony grabs Loki's wrists and pins them above the god's head. A heavy weight pins Loki down at Tony straddles him, pressing his legs firmly against the god's sides.

"I shoulda given you these jeans earlier…They outline your hips perfectly." Tony leans forward, looking Loki dead in the eyes. "You know, you're actually kind of sexy when you're helpless and vulnerable. Suits you. In bed."

Loki breathes heavily in an attempt to hold his tongue back and not spit any insults at Tony. Or literally spit at Tony. The situation is delicate enough and if he insults Tony now it could take a very drastic turn and definitely not for the better.

As Tony opens his mouth JARVIS' voice echoes through the room, cutting off whatever other remark the inventor was just about to make.

"Sir, you have a guest in the Tower."

Both men freeze and a look of annoyance passes over Tony's face. Groaning, he lets go of Loki's hands and rolls off him. Without even sparing Loki another glance the inventor tells him to go to his room and not make a sound. Loki rushes out of the bedroom as fast as he can, wishing to never remember this night. Never, during all these centuries, has Loki felt so disgusted.

In the safe walls of his temporary chambers Loki splashes his face with cold water as he wills him heartbeat to slow. All rational explanations don't line up with Tony's previous behavior and the god of mischief desperately tries to work out a possible and probable explanation. For the past days or week – Loki doesn't bother keeping track – Tony's been abusive and violent when alcohol consumed him from the inside. But tonight was different…tonight the alcohol didn't trigger abusive response: instead it triggered sexual desire. And as much as Loki hates this theory and has no desire to believe that this is the truth, he  _knows_ that it is.

Terrified and revolted Loki curls up into a tight ball on his bed, deciding to face the wall to avoid looking at anything which will remind him of Tony. He desperately tries to clear his mind, dreading the thoughts which begin to creep up on him. But his mind refuses to leave him in peace, instead weaving tapestries of the most unimaginable and unwelcome scenarios.

Asgard. Of all the places his mind takes Loki to Asgard. The plain beige wall in front of the god morphs into the Royal Palace as memories and illusions engulf his mind. A ball, full of masters and servants and  _slaves,_ ready to tend to their masters' every whim. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, all enjoying themselves in the company of slaves and servants of the best brothels in Asgard. Himself, taking advantage of poor souls, twisting their minds and bodies into obedience and submission, leaving no room for mercy.

Slavery in Asgard is common, and sex slaves are no rare occurrence. Maybe it's finally Loki's time to be on the receiving end. Maybe Iron Man found a new use for the god of mischief, a much more exciting use. It's no secret that Tony gets bored of his toys easily, and having accomplished the task of "taming his pet"…maybe he's moved on to disciplining him.

Horrified of his own thoughts and dreading having to spend the whole night alone with them Loki wobbles to the bathroom. Leaning on the sink for support he lets the cold water run, occasionally splashing his face with it.

With his mind on overdrive and his body shaking, Loki forgets about the guests which arrived to the Tower at the most convenient  _and_  inconvenient time possible.


End file.
